'People should know we are still around': Boko Haram splits over leadership

A split has emerged in Nigerian militant group Boko Haram, after its leader rejected an attempt by Isil to replace him.

Abubakar Shekau on Thursday insisted he was “still around”.

He described his rival to power, Abu Musab al-Barnawi, as a “polytheist”, meaning one who worships many gods.

Shekau, who wears military uniform and waves an AK-47 assault rifle in propaganda videos posted online, said he sent letters to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil), but its leaders had stopped replying.

"I was asked to send my ideology in writing to the caliph but it was manipulated by some people in order to achieve their own selfish interests," he said in a 10-minute audio message.

"People should know we are still around.

"We will never cause any discord among the people, we will live by the Koran."

Al-Barnawi’s appointment as the new “Wali of West Africa” was announced through an interview with him in the latest edition of Isil’s online weekly magazine al-Naba.

Boko Haram’s former spokesman, he is seen by the terrorist group as more moderate.

Despite the group’s substantial territorial losses at the hands of a multinational force comprising Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad, al-Barnawi said that Boko Haram was “still a force to be reckoned with” and vowed to end its practice of attacking mosques and killing Muslims.

Instead, he said, it would focus on attacking Christians, by "booby-trapping and blowing up every church that we are able to reach, and killing all of those who we find from the citizens of the cross".

Analysts said the rift opened up a new and dangerous chapter of Nigerian-born terrorism as both factions could now compete to outdo each other.

Shekau’s faction may also team up with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb, al-Qaeda’s official branch in North Africa which was behind hotel terror attacks in Mali and Burkina Faso.

“Boko Haram’s wanton violence has always been a concern for Isil,” he said. “They are no angels but justify the deaths of civilians by applying the apostate label.

"To re-establish the group’s credentials and recruiting abilities in the Lake Chad region, Isil obviously realised a change in strategy and leadership was needed.”

Rabe Abubakar, a spokesman for the Nigerian army which has a chequered record in putting down the insurgency, dismissed the leadership spat as pure attention seeking and said Boko Haram was a spent force.

“What they are doing is to seek relevance and to tell the world that they are still around whereas they have been decimated,” he told the Nigerian News Agency.

“Their latest move is the antics of a fading group and I believe that in the shortest time they will be history.’’